News

Two automotive suppliers choose Bowling Green, Ky.

May 21, 2007 — Howa USA Inc. and Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC have announced plans to locate manufacturing facilities in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Howa will acquire 24 acres in the Kentucky Transpark to build a new 82,000-square-foot facility for making dash insulators, headliners, and other automotive products. With the purchase of new equipment and upgraded building fixtures, the company's investment is projected to be over $10 million. Howa's parent company, Howa Textile Industry Ltd., is a market leader among Japanese suppliers with a customer base that includes Toyota, Nissan, and Honda.

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake will occupy 187,000 square feet of an existing facility in Bowling Green, where it will establish a state-of-the-art foundation drum and disc brake manufacturing plant. It's the first dedicated foundation brake manufacturing facility for the joint venture of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems and Dana Corporation, formed in 2004. The new plant will employ about 175 workers, with continued growth expected. Some employees will move from the Dana Corporation plant in nearby Glasgow.